San Joaquin County Biographies


This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm



 
JAMES W. COLEY.
 
        A man of unusual ability and great strength of character, is James W. 
Coley, who has closely identified himself with the best interests of San Joaquin 
County and more especially with the Escalon section of the county for the past 
fifteen years. He was born near Gate City, Va., October 9, 1872, his parents 
being George W. and Virginia (Agnor-Vineyard) Coley, natives of North Carolina 
and Virginia, respectively. There were seven children in the family, James W., 
the subject of this sketch, being the oldest. He received his education in the 
public schools and Kingsley College, a private school. When he was eighteen 
years old he became associated with his father in farming pursuits, raising 
splendid crops of buckwheat, corn, and also high-grade stock.
        The marriage of Mr. Coley occurred in 1896, which united him with Miss 
Belle Ramey, born at Gate City, Va., and they are the parents of seven children: 
Roy W. enlisted in August, 1917, in Battery C, at Stockton, was assigned to the 
143rd Field Artillery and trained at Camp Kearney for seven months; then 
transferred to the first division of the Fifth Field Artillery and was sent 
overseas, reaching France in July, 1918, and became a part of the A. E. F., 
being in four major engagements and for nine months was in the Army of 
Occupation at Coblentz, Germany. He received his honorable discharge in 
September, 1919, and immediately joined his family. He is now a merchant in 
Escalon; Verne died at the age of eighteen years; her twin sister, Ona, is now 
the wife of Oscar Franklin and they have one daughter, and they reside in 
Escalon; Vonley enlisted in Battery C at Stockton and was transferred to the 
144th Field Artillery and sent to Camp Kearney for training. On account of being 
under age he was discharged; later he reenlisted in the Coast Artillery at San 
Pedro and went overseas. On account of illness he was sent home, but later 
reenlisted at Camp Lewis in the Coast Guards and served until the end of the 
war. After his discharge he remained at home for a few weeks, then enlisted in 
the U. S. Marines and has since been at Pearl Harbor, Philippine Islands; 
Clarence, Joy and Grady are the younger children.
        When James W. Coley located at Escalon in 1907, the place was merely a 
railroad station and our subject and his brother, John A. Coley, were the first 
men to build a business block in the town; they also invested money in vacant 
property, which is now all built up. Mr. Coley has also built a number of 
residences and has developed two ranches in the South San Joaquin Irrigation 
District; after the fire in 1917 he erected a business block on Main Street and 
he also owns valuable real estate on Coley Avenue. He has always been a strong 
advocate of irrigation and has given his untiring effort to the perfecting of 
the South San Joaquin Irrigation District. In politics he is a stanch 
Republican.
 
History of San Joaquin County, California � Los Angeles, Historic Record Co., 
1923
p   924       
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler.